CVMS teacher publishes books on education, virtual learning

October 19, 2020 | 12:08 am

Updated October 19, 2020 | 9:39 pm

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College View Middle School science teacher Jacob Bryant, who also serves as achievement gap coordinator/interventionist as well as gifted and talented teacher leader, has published two books that are now available on Amazon in both Kindle and print versions.

“Middle School Teaching Matters: A Common Sense Approach to Succeeding with Adolescents” explores the factors involved with effective teaching with a focus on students in grades 6-8.

Bryant said the most important factor is the “day-to-day mindset (teachers) use to approach their kids, content, colleagues and class.”

The second book, “Teaching Kids Online is NOT Virtually Impossible: A Handbook for Effective K-12 Online Instruction” explores best practices for virtual teaching and learning.

“Some of our most meaningful lessons come from experiential learning,” Bryant said in making his case for the potential power of online learning.

In addition to his role at CVMS, Bryant has taught online undergraduate and graduate courses for local universities for four years.

“What I noticed in this time period is I had a passion for online instruction,” he said. “I was very curious about the opportunities it could offer the traditional education system in K-12. Never did I think of the day traditional schooling would flip to online learning.”

Then, on March 13, he received the notification school would close and teachers would remotely instruct students from home. 

“Fortunately, my experience at the university level translated to 6th-grade online science instruction,” Bryant said. “As I began having success, I looked for opportunities to offer influence and support to others.”

Realizing that the challenges faced by educators at CVMS and in the Daviess County Public Schools district were also taking place among educators across the country, Bryant wanted to share his experiences, insights and lessons learned with a wider audience.

“As news coverage and legislation continued to change regarding what the future of schools may look like this fall and into next year, I continued to be challenged by my core belief that students deserve our best each and every day,” he said. “Our responsibility as educators is to provide the best learning experience possible for kids. This is made very difficult when the students are not right in front of you.

“We have been accustomed to this instruction for many years. While it challenges our praxis as educators, I am assured by the teacher paradigm that we will always meet any challenge placed before us to grow our students. After all, teachers are problem solvers. For this fall, that meant making a difference from a distance.”

Having discovered the rewards of teaching throughout his career, both in-person and online, Bryant said his goal is to inspire and encourage fellow educators.

October 19, 2020 | 12:08 am

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